Faith in Fear
by katnisssullen
Summary: "You will remain a prisoner up in that tower of yours, forced to watch your kingdom engulfed in Twilight. Fear will be the only thing that you have left, then. Fear will be the only thing that you know." "No... as long as there is light to drive away darkness, you will never succeed." A take on Zelda's perspective during the Twilight Invasion. Twilight Princess spoilers.


A/N: So... here's that new story I was telling you about :D As I said before, this story takes place during the Twilight Invasion, and is written to show Princess Zelda's perspective. I'm not quite sure how often I'll be updating this story, seeing as how I'm writing two stories at once and my other story, Eye of the Storm, is updated on a weekly basis. But this story will be much shorter than that one, so I'll try to update regularly :D I do hope that you all enjoy this story while it lasts! Twilight Princess spoilers DO follow, though, for those who haven't played the game. Enjoy! ^.^

Chapter 1

It was a drab day in Hyrule, a day like any other. The guards made their rounds around the perimeter of the castle and throughout the several corridors, talking amongst each other. The weather was fair, just as it usually was in the kingdom, and the sun beamed down on the land below.

Above all of it, the wise Princess of Hyrule was up in her throne room, left to ponder her own thoughts. The clicking of heels echoing off the thick, marble walls as the guards paced the floor was nearly constant throughout the day in the castle, the throne room being no exception. Zelda sat upon her throne, her eyes glazing over in thought as she gazed off into the distance.

"Your Highness," one of the many guards spoke up, bowing as he approached her.

She shifted her gaze to look at the source of the gruff voice, suddenly shaken from her thoughts. "Yes..." she nodded curtly, trying to compose herself as she sat up tall. "What is it?"

"Your Highness..." he continued, rising as he held onto the hilt of his heavy blade. "Forgive me if I have disturbed you, but I have received news on the whereabouts of the sword that you had ordered."

"Yes, I remember..." the young princess nodded thoughtfully, resting her hands on her lap. "The one from the swordsman in the southern village of Ordon... What news have you received of it?"

"It is ready to be delivered to the castle. The swordsman has already taken it upon himself to ask of one of his fellow villagers the favor of delivering it. It should be here within the next few days or so," he informed her, his feet shifting slightly on the velvety, royal blue rug which extended across the chamber from the throne to the entrance.

The wise princess closed her eyes in thought, nodding. "I thank you for your promptness," she replied, clasping her hands together as she opened her eyes. "When this courier of his does arrive, I wish to be notified immediately; this is a very important delivery."

"Understood," he answered, tightening his grip on his sword as he stood up tall. He bowed once again, nodding. "With your permission, I will continue to make my rounds."

"Of course," she told him, clearing her throat. "You may continue."

The guard pivoted on his heel, bidding her farewell as he strode down the carpet towards the chamber entrance.

Zelda sighed softly, rubbing her eyes. She hadn't gotten much sleep in the past few nights; in just a few days, there would be a coronation ceremony held. The young Princess of Hyrule would become queen, and she would reign as a monarch to all of her people. The days leading up to the ceremony were short, too short, in Zelda's opinion. The pressure of the situation had begun to unnerve her, as an enormous weight was to be thrust upon her shoulders in such a short time.

She shivered as a cool breeze blew in through the doorway, lifting the edge of the rug closest to the entrance. One of the guards promptly marched over to the rug, smoothing it down with his boot and carrying on. Zelda leaned back in her throne, her gaze shifting towards the ceiling. At least her guards were alert, just as they should have been...

There was a low rumbling from beneath her feet as several of the guards rushed over to the entrance, disappearing as they turned the corner to find the source of the disruption. Zelda stood up hastily as the rumbling continued, slowly increasing in volume. There was a moment of silence from within the chamber as two guards hurried to the princess's side. Suddenly, there was a sharp cry from around the corner as she heard a low growl, one that must have come from a beast.

Many of the chamber's guards lined up in front of the gaping archway that was the entrance to the throne room, while others scrambled to the center of the room, shuddering in despair as the thundering grew louder. There was the sound of the guards' boots stomping on the floor and struggled, pained cries as the unknown monsters let out screaming roars.

After more silence, the stomping finally grew to its highest amplitude, and the horrendous, foul creatures emerged from the corner in a black plume of smoke. They were a repugnant sort of beast, one that Zelda had never seen before. They were tall, pitch-black masses of skin without facial features. The monsters were built like humans, but their hands were large and from their heads emerged a set of several, almost tentacle-like hairs. On their chests were an odd sort of blood-red symbol, most likely a weak point.

She could only be sure of one thing: These creatures were hostile beings, and would stop at nothing to destroy her kingdom and its inhabitants.

The princess clenched her fists at her sides, hurriedly reaching for the sword which she kept beside her throne and unsheathing it. She stepped forward, only to be quickly interrupted when the two guards beside her thrust their blades in front of her, preventing her from moving forward.

"Stay back, Your Highness!" one of them barked. "It's too dangerous to face them!"

Zelda's grip on the sword tightened in fury as the monsters advanced towards the guards, gritting her teeth as she was forced to watch her noble defenders as they were struck down by the monsters. How she wished that she could do something, anything that would stop them. Only a few guards remained by the time that the pathway had been cleared, but they were barely able to endure as they hung, suspended in the air as they were strangled by the cruel beasts.

It took every fiber of her being to restrain herself as another figure emerged from the brilliant archway, two of the shadowy monsters crawling beside him. The man was dressed in a thick, dark robe with sleeves that nearly dragged on the ground beside his feet. The entire robe was adorned with several light blue lines which seemed to crackle on the surface of the fabric, and he wore plated silver armor with a metallic color that matched the peculiar, fish-like helmet that he wore.

He steadily approached the princess, the tassels of his sleeves almost brushing against the long rug. The man stopped himself halfway across the room, standing before the young woman as her blue eyes burned into him.

"It is time for you to choose..." he started in a booming voice, his words echoing off the thick walls of the chamber. "Surrender or die!"

Princess Zelda felt herself tense up as she tried desperately to hide her fear, her grip on the weapon tightening slightly.

The man let out a venomous laugh, his gaze locked onto hers as he kept his stance. "Oh yes," he continued, "a question for all the land and people of Hyrule: Life... or death?!"

The young woman stood before him, her once tranquil expression having melted away into one of utter trepidation as the guards at her sides quickly turned to face her. This man, she knew, must have been from the Twilight Realm. She could tell from the familiar blue designs on his robe, ones that seemed to be a popular fashion throughout that land. But why would he carry out an attack against Hyrule Castle? The people of the Twilight Realm were not in any sort of feud with those of Hyrule Kingdom. In truth, the Hylians, Zoras, Gorons, Ordonians... none of the beings that inhabited Hyrule knew of the world of the Twilight Realm. None, of course, with the exception of those with the blood of the royal family. That must have been why he had come to her, the Princess of Hyrule, and given her this decision, a decision which would affect the lives of everyone in the land, and would benefit only this man of the Twilight Realm.

Surrender or be killed. The choice was simple, yes, but not easy. If Zelda were to surrender to the Twilight Realm, then she would be forced to give up her throne. Her citizens would become nothing more than frightened spirits in a land shrouded in darkness, and this man would reign over them. But if she were to resist him... surely she wouldn't best him. These Shadow Beasts were powerful, and for this man to manage to get so far into the castle and get past so many guards, he must have been several times mightier.

Her eyes locked onto the horrifying image of her guards, gasping for air as they desperately tried to wrestle themselves out of the grasps of the creatures. How she wished to step away from the defenders at her side and wield that sword of hers. If she could have, then she would have marched over to this pitiful man, crying at him to unhand her hapless guards. She would have been near the entrance when the beasts rushed in, fighting against them with all of the power that she could manage. She would have risked her life to defend her people, even though it was the guards who were supposed to defend her. Only, she couldn't do any of those things. If she were to lose her life, then this man would steal her throne, steal the very liberty of her subjects. She had no choice in that situation, no, but now she had a choice to make. This decision would affect the lives of the entire population of the kingdom, but there would be no easy way out. She would either allow her people to be instilled with a sense of fear as they watched their lives crumble before them, or she would resist this man and he would take the throne by force, taking the lives of the princess and anybody else who denied him.

Princess Zelda felt her fingers loosen from around the hilt of the blade as the guards beside her seethed with anger. The weapon cut through the air as it fell to the ground, landing with the loud clang of steel when it hit the floor. The men at her side tried to force themselves to look away, but they could not tear their eyes from the horrific sight of the weapon as it lie on the floor beside her feet.

Although she could not see his face beneath the helmet that he wore, Zelda could sense the presence of the wicked smile that grew on his lips as he took another step towards the princess. He glanced over his shoulder at the Shadow Beasts, as if to silently signal for them to let go of the guards. They complied to the noiseless order, dropping the gasping men to their knees and turning to stand at attention.

The man of the Twilight Realm knitted his hands together, though they were still shrouded beneath the dark fabric of his wide sleeves. "Zelda, Princess of Hyrule..." he started in his deafening voice, making sure that he could hear her clearly. "Forgive me, for I have not properly introduced myself. I am Zant, rightful king of the Twilight Realm. Your kingdom is one which has been corrupted by the sickening mildness of the light in this world. As the leader of the Twili race, it is my birthright to this land. That is why I have come to you today, dear princess..." he trailed off, having inched his way towards Zelda until he was standing just centimeters away. The mouthpiece on his helmet folded up to reveal his mouth, undoubtedly so that she would hear his every word. "For it is time for my people to reign darkness upon this corrupted land of yours."

She shuddered as she felt his hot breath against her neck, a devilish grin playing on his lips. "But you do not fear the darkness... do you, Zelda?" he asked, the grotesque fissures at the corners of his lips turning up slightly.

The young princess kept her eyes locked on him, refusing to turn away. This man, the so-called rightful King of the Twilight Realm, surely was hoping for an affirmative answer to the question. He had barged into her castle and slain her guards before her very eyes, hoping that she would crack beneath the pressure of not being able to come to their aid. His satisfaction fed off of her dread; he wanted her to be afraid. But he had thrown her land into a point of turmoil, and his beasts had ended the lives of innocent defenders of the castle. This man deserved no respect from the princess, and she would not give him any satisfaction.

"I fear not the darkness that looms over my kingdom," she managed to spit out, her eyes darkened with fury. "I fear only the ego of the pitiful man who foolishly believes that he has the right to control the land."

Zant grit his teeth in anger at her remark, clenching his fists at his sides. "You will soon come to regret your statements, Princess," he growled at her, his voice full of loathing. "You will remain a prisoner up in that tower of yours, forced to watch your kingdom engulfed in Twilight as your disposable subjects slowly die off, desperately searching for the last shred of hope that they can cling onto. You and your people will die, just like any other mortals, trapped within a land of darkness. Fear will be the only thing that you have left, then. Fear will be the only thing that you know."

"No," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper as he harshly grabbed onto her wrist. She shook her head, her icy gaze locked onto him. "As long as there is light to drive away darkness, you will never succeed."

The man laughed bitterly, his voice echoing throughout the room as his grip on her tightened as if his hand were a vise. "My dear princess..." he started, his grin slowly sinking into a hateful grimace. "What is this light you speak of? I see nobody here who can overcome the superiority my ruling. No... nobody in your pitiful kingdom is capable of such a feat."

Silence filled the throne room as the young princess held her gaze high, refusing to turn away. He must have expected her to cower in fear, to break down in tears and beg for mercy for the sake of her people. But she was anything but weak. If he thought that she was going to crack under the pressure of injustice, then he was sorely mistaken.

She sensed his dismay as he jerked her arm back, causing her to pivot until she was facing away from him. The fabric of his robe rustled as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a short piece of rope. He aggressively pulled her wrists together behind her back, scowling as she kept a straight face. He must have prepared for this...

"Let's see your imaginary hero try to overcome the undeniable supremacy of the Twilight after I've transformed this land," he uttered through gritted teeth, tightly binding her wrists together and tying the short rope in a tight knot.

Zelda felt the eyes of her loyal guards rested upon her as Zant gripped onto her shoulder, whipping her around so that she was facing him. He glowered at her for a moment, his cold fingers digging into her arm as he roughly pulled her so that she would follow behind him. Without any sign of resistance, she obeyed, her wrists burning as the rope constrained them.

It was a long walk out of the throne room for the egotistical man and the princess, or so it seemed. All was silent, with the exception of their shoes clicking on the floor as he pulled her along with him. The guards lowered their gazes as the two turned the corner, disappearing from their vision.

Zant seemed to be able to navigate the castle just as well as the princess herself, and had no trouble nearly dragging her to where he had intended to go. The halls were littered with the bodies of several of the castle guards as the two walked by. Zelda shut her eyes tightly, silently praying that these men were only temporarily unconscious, though she was doubtful.

"Here," he barked when they had finally reached their destination, just outside of one of the castle's several chambers. He shoved the door open, nearly throwing her inside the chilled room.

She staggered backwards slightly, nearly losing her balance as she felt the rope digging into her wrists. The room was fairly wide, though it had a low ceiling. The walls and floor were all made of a dark, gray stone that felt bitterly cold to the touch, and the only features of the room were the bed in the corner which could only barely fit one person, the empty journal on the desk in the corner that was illuminated only by the dim light of a wax candle, a small bookshelf up against the wall, and a fairly large glass window that overlooked the land beyond.

The man steadily crossed over to her, his fingers fumbling with the rope that constricted her. After a moment, he was able to pull it off, much to her relief. He bunched up the rope in his hands, turning back towards the large doors and heading towards them. "I don't expect that you'll be trying to make an escape, so I won't bother locking it. After all, you're smarter than that, aren't you?"

She was silent as she gazed out the window, his words lingering in the air. It wouldn't make any difference if she tried to leave, would it?

He frowned, shaking his head slightly. "Your silence disappoints me, Princess Zelda..." he told her, taking another step towards the door. His hand rested against the edge of the door as he stepped out of the room. "Enjoy the view," he told her simply, pushing the door closed behind him.

After she heard the click of the door as it resonated throughout the dim chamber, she immediately pulled off one of her long gloves. Zelda gritted her teeth when she saw that the rope had cut through the skin, leaving a dark pink mark all around her wrist. She winced as she turned her arm, only to find that his bony fingers had left a nasty, purple bruise on her arm.

"Did he do that to you?" a shrill voice spoke up from a few feet behind the princess. Zelda flinched, gasping as she turned on her heel to find the source of the noise.

Before her stood, or rather, floated, a small figure. The mysterious girl had a dark, helmet-like piece of headgear that covered one of her scarlet and yellow eyes, and her body was covered in several markings similar to the ones that the man had on his robe. She was from the Twilight Realm, undoubtedly.

"Who are you?" Princess Zelda asked, her eyes slightly wider than before as she tried to compose herself.

"Me?" the girl asked, giggling. "Well, my name is Midna. But you're probably wondering why I'm here, right?"

The young princess nodded, taking a step forward. "You are of the Twilight Realm, are you not?" she asked, knitting her hands together.

The girl chuckled, grinning cheekily. "I forget that you humans don't know a whole lot about the Twilight Realm," she replied, rolling her eyes. "I'm Midna, Princess of the Twilight Realm. Or, Twilight Princess, for short. And you're Princess Zelda, ruler of Hyrule Kingdom."

"Yes," she confirmed, bowing her head slightly. "That man... are you on his side?"

"Who, Zant?" Midna asked. Her smirk quickly dissolved into a scowl as she crossed her arms, turning away slightly. "Zant's nothing but a power-hungry fool. He thinks that he should be the king of our realm, but he's dead wrong." She was silent for a moment as her eyes softened slightly, her gaze set on the ground. "Was he the one who hurt you?"

Zelda glanced down at the marks that he had left on her arm, frowning as she slowly pulled the glove back over her hand and up her arm. "It is of little importance, Midna," she told her in a steady voice, shaking her head. "My wounds are minor, and temporary, at that. But if you are not on his side... then why have you come to see me?"

Midna grit her teeth, her eyes burning a hole in the wall of stone. "Zant thinks that he can get away with invading your realm. He thinks that it belongs to him, but he's wrong again. I mean, I'm not a huge fan of your kingdom, either. I much prefer my own cozy little palace in the Twilight Realm. But... well, my desire to see him isn't really for YOUR kingdom. Rather, I want to give that Zant a piece of my mind."

They were both silent as Midna shifted her gaze to the Princess of Hyrule, resting her chin on one of her small hands. "But... he's hurt your kingdom too, hasn't he? So... maybe we could strike up a deal, here."

Zelda's light blue eyes gave a sort of hopeful glint as she took a step forward, kneeling down slightly to meet the girl's gaze. "And... what sort of compromise had you in mind?" she asked, locking her gaze onto hers.

A smirk formed on Midna's lips as she perked her head up, resting a hand on her hip. "Well, you see..." she started, glad that she had gotten Zelda's attention, "as you know, neither of us will be able to stop Zant ourselves. We need a courageous hero, someone who can do that FOR us. If you could, perhaps, offer one of your finest swordsmen, then maybe we could take down that fool."

"And by stop... you mean...?" Zelda asked, her voice full of concern.

The Twilight Princess giggled, rolling her eyes. "No, no, the swordsman wouldn't be the one to kill Zant," she spoke up, shaking her head. "He may not seem like much, but Zant's far too powerful to be killed by just anybody. However, there is something hidden within your land that could be used to take him down, something with a powerful magic from the Twilight Realm..."

"What is it?" the young woman asked, urging her on.

Midna's eyes flickered in thought as she bit her cheek, raising an eyebrow. "Just a little something called a Fused Shadow..." she replied nonchalantly. "It has a dark and mysterious power, capable of destroying even the mightiest of magic users. There are four pieces of it. Three of them are hidden within your land..."

"And the last?" Zelda asked, her gaze set on the solid floor.

The girl grinned, pointing to the helmet-like object on her head. "Right here," she answered, nodding curtly.

"Midna..." Zelda began, her eyes full of uncertainty as she stood up tall. "You do realize the potential jeopardy that you could be throwing yourself into by hunting down such an artifact, don't you? The Fused Shadow is an object shrouded in wickedness... it could easily overpower any mortal who manages to get their hands on it, twisting their morals until nothing is left but infamy. Attempting to use such an item is far too perilous..."

The imp's eyes narrowed as she clenched her fists at her sides. "What do you suggest we do, Princess?!" Midna barked, her eyes sharpening as she rose to meet Zelda's gaze. "I will not allow for him to corrupt my home, and I know that you feel the same way about your kingdom! If we don't have that Fused Shadow... then we don't stand a chance!"

Princess Zelda opened her mouth to object, but was quickly interrupted when they both heard a low rumbling from outside the castle. The two locked gazes for a moment, their eyes reflecting the apprehension that they both felt at that moment. Zelda crossed over to the window as Midna followed closely behind her, peeking outside.

At first glance, the land seemed to be the same as it always was. The bright blue sky danced across the horizon as the sun gleamed down on Castle Town and all of its citizens. Off in the distance, she could make out the edge of Hyrule Field. Only, the usually robust people of the town were completely still, gawking at the palace. It was then that Zelda realized that the sky above the castle was a dull gray, and that the lower tiers of the building were emitting thick, black clouds of smoke as they crackled with flames.

Her hands pressed against the window sill as she scrutinized the scene, unable to tear her gaze away. She felt her grip tightening as the people stood their, their faces contorted into an expression of plain fear. A whimper escaped her lips as, all at once, they seemed to vanish, becoming nothing more than floating orbs of light as the color drained from the town in a quick flash of light. She looked out at Hyrule Field, only to find that it, too, had lost its vivacity.

She felt her knees begin to grow weak as she loosened her hold on the window, her mouth agape. A cry of horror threatened to emit from her throat, but she could make no sound. Her people, the ones who she had tried all her life to please... they were gone. She had failed them.

"Don't you see?" Midna asked, crossing her arms. "Zant is a monster. If we can get our hands on that Fused Shadow... then we still have a chance to save both of our kingdoms."

Zelda kept her back turned to the girl, glowering as she felt herself boil with rage. What Zant had done to her kingdom... it was unforgivable. He had barged into her palace, threatened her life and the lives of her subjects, and imprisoned her within her own home. But to shun the light of a kingdom that did not belong to him... only a true monster could do something of the sort.

"Okay..." Princess Zelda managed to spit out, her gaze still held on the sight of the Twilight. "Go find the Fused Shadow. Please... for my people and yours."

Midna smirked slightly, nodding. "Gladly," she replied, stretching her arms outward. "But with all of this Twilight, it may be difficult to find anyone who can help us out. I'll have to do some searching..."

The young woman turned to face her, biting her lip. "There may still be areas that haven't been affected as of yet," Zelda nodded hopefully, knitting her hands together. "Go quickly... and be careful!"

"Sure thing, Princess of Hyrule..." Midna nodded, waving goodbye as she made her way towards the door. She paused for a moment, cocking her head in thought. "Or maybe I should call YOU Twilight Princess!"

Zelda frowned, lowering her gaze as Midna giggled to herself.

"See you later, Twilight Princess!" she taunted, laughing as she disappeared into the air.

Zelda bowed her head as Midna's words lingered in the air. It was true; it was Zelda's own decision to allow her kingdom to succumb to the Twilight, and she knew very well of the consequences that would follow. But how could she deny this man, after what she had seen him so carelessly do to her guards? He would have no problem eliminating her and her people, had she tried to resist him.

She knitted her hands together, closing her eyes. For a short moment, the chamber was silent as the princess silently prayed for the safety of her people. It was the least that she could do...

Zelda perked her head up at the sound of the door clicking open, her muscles tensing up as she apprehensively took a step back. She shifted her gaze towards the floor as the door swung open, unable to meet the gaze of the figure that was approaching her.

The wicked man grinned at her solemn expression, finally stopping when he was a mere foot away from her. He hid his hands behind his back, a devilish smile still plastered across his face.

"I see that you, too, have seen the transformation of this land," he told her, his voice calmer than before. "Such a lovely view is suitable for someone of your status, is it not?"

He cackled as she lifted her gaze slightly, noticing that his arms were behind his back. "Have you something to show me, Zant?" she asked in a monotonous voice, her clouded blue eyes piercing into him.

He was silent for a moment, his smirk fading into a frown. "You're quite wise, aren't you, Princess?" he asked, his voice unreadable.

Zelda remained quiet as he stared her down, unblinking.

Zant cleared his throat loudly, composing himself. "Why, yes," he started, his lips curling into a grin once more, "I have something to give you, Princess Zelda."

He pulled his hands from behind his back, revealing a dark cloak and a long, violet scarf. "I figured that you would want to keep warm..." he told her simply, holding the garments in front of her.

She narrowed her eyes slightly. Did he believe that he was fooling her? Of course he didn't care if she was warm or not... this robe was dark, undoubtedly one of mourning.

The young woman turned her gaze towards her feet, gently grabbing the clothes from his arms.

He folded his hands together underneath his sleeves, staring at her persistently. "I trust that you will obey my orders, dear Zelda..." he nodded curtly, his voice eerily calm. "A girl with your knowledge certainly would understand the consequences of, say, plotting against her superior, wouldn't she?"

"Certainly," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Certainly she would, she thought, if Zant were her superior. But to say that she would allow him to steal Hyrule from beneath her feet was laughable, to say the least. Certainly her knew that she would not go down without a fighting chance...

"Excellent," he responded, a small smirk playing on his lips. "I'll be leaving you, then, Princess Zelda..." Zant turned on his heel, waving goodbye as he marched towards the door. "Farewell for now."

The man exited the dim chamber, closing the door behind him tightly as she lifted her gaze once more. Zelda's eyes burned as she grit her teeth, hurling the cloak across the room towards the bed. What audacity he had, to give her something that symbolized such... grief. What had he been implying? Had he been implying that she had failed her people, and that all of this was her fault? Of course it wasn't; Zant was nothing but a coward!

She clenched her fists at her sides, shaking her head. This was his fault... it was Zant who foolishly decided to invade the land, not her!

Zelda's chest heaved as she dug her nails into the wooden bedpost, her eyes aflame. She had done nothing but make the decision to surrender; her only wish was that her people could be safe... but her people weren't safe, were they?

The princess lowered her gaze towards the floor of stone, gripping onto the thick blankets of the bed. She felt her knees buckle as she slid down the side of the bed, staring at the wall. She slumped over once she had reached the cold floor, unable to think straight.

She had failed them. The loyal citizens of Hyrule Kingdom, who Zelda would have risked her own life for, had become spirits of their own homes. The once great land was nothing but a shadow of its former self, and its beauty had been robbed by the cruelty of this usurper king...

Zelda felt as though her heart had been ripped in two. She had failed her subjects. It was her job to protect them at all costs, but she just couldn't save them...

She felt herself reach for the cloak and scarf which dangled from the bedside, her gaze still set straight ahead. She raveled the scarf around her neck loosely until it made its way all the way up to the bottom of her nose, closing her eyes tightly. A whimper emitted from her throat as she pulled the large robe over her shoulders, her eyes being pricked with tears.

Her mind went back to the image of dozens upon dozens of her guards, lifeless in the corridors of the castle. How many of her people had met a similar fate, she wondered. And for those who were still alive and well... how could they have possibly felt? Did they know what had become of their princess, the young woman who had promised to protect them? Did they know that she would not be coming to their aid in their time of need? Or had they already given up hope?

"I'm sorry..." she managed to choke out, burying her face in her hands.

Everything was silent as the young princess pulled the robe around her tightly, concealing her face from the chamber.

Her thoughts drifted back to the Twili girl that she had met just minutes prior. Perhaps Midna truly could find a swordsman somewhere in Hyrule, anybody who stood a chance against this evil. If she managed to gather the pieces of the Fused Shadow... then perhaps Hyrule could still be saved. It wasn't much to hope for, but Zelda needed to find something, anything that she could hang onto.

The princess picked herself up off of the floor, adjusting the long, dark cloak. It would do no good for her to sit there and feel sorry for herself; if she wished to aid her kingdom, then she could not act like a sniveling coward as her land was transformed by Zant. No... but there still was not much that she could do. The most that she could do was to try her best to have faith in Midna.

Without faith, Zelda would be filled with nothing but fear. That was exactly what Zant had wanted to see- fear. What kind of ruler would she be if she were to give him that satisfaction? He had killed her guards, transformed her people, and stolen her throne, but she would not allow him the joy of knowing that the fear had already rooted itself inside of her. If he was going to imprison her inside of her own castle, then so be it. But her fear was not of him and his Shadow Beasts, no... Zelda feared for the lives of her citizens.

Until Midna was able to find the hero hidden somewhere within the land who would be able to drive away that fear, the young Princess of Hyrule would have to have hope. As long as there was hope in her heart, then the fear could never win.

"My kingTom and yours are depending on you, Twilight Princess..." Zelda muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. The sound of her boots clicking on the floor echoed off the thick walls of the chamber as she slowly crossed over to the glass window, gazing out at the Twilight-covered land before her. She took a deep breath, resting a hand against the edge of the chilled window. "Find our hero."


End file.
